Covered expansion joint



Dec. 25, R T LYONS COVERED EXPANSION JOINT Filed Dec. 18, 1948 )4 TTORNE Patented Dec. 25, 1951 U ITED ATS FFKCE.

COVERED EXPANSION JOINT chusetts Application December 18, 1948, Serial No. 66,014

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for covering the vertical faces of expansion joints in masonry cfonstructions. This invention is primarily concerned with a device for covering the vertical faces of expansion joints containing heat-liquefialolerubberized bituminous sealing compositions. 'In the construction of large concrete structures, such as buildings, dams, swimming pools and the like, the concrete portions of the structures are formed in sections and joints between adjacent sections are provided to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the concrete under the atmospheric conditions encountered in service. These joints are filled with an adhesive; elastic sealing compound, rubberized bituminous compo- 'sitio'n's which may be liquefied at elevated temperatures of the order of 400 to 500 F., and poured into the joint being particularly suitable for this purpose. A problem arises, however, in connection with the vertical face of expansion joints in which such" sealing compositions are employed. When the liquefied sealing material is poured into the joint there is a tendency for it to run out along the vertical face of the joint before the material has had time to solidify. Further, sealing compositions employed for this purpose exhibit cold flow and,'during periods of expansion when the space between adjacent concrete sections is narrowed, the sealing material tends to be forced out of the vertical face of the joint and becomes displaced, making the joint unsightly and sometimes causing permanent injury to the bond between the composition and the concrete.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which will afford lateral support for the sealing composition in vertical faces of expansion joints.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the character indicated which will be suitable for permanent installation across the vertical face of an expansion joint and which will prevent objectionable displacement of the sealing composition during periods of expansion.

According to the invention, I provide an expansion joint covering assembly comprising a pair of guide elements adapted to be secured to the masonry units adjacent each side of the vertical face of the expansion joint, and a joint covering member adapted to be positioned between the guide elements and to be partially embedded in the expansion joint sealing composition.

Other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line l-I of Fig. 2, and,

Fig. 2 isa view in perspective showing the vertical face of an expansion joint provided with a joint covering assembly embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a concrete structure showing the vertical face of the expansion joint covered by a plurality of my joint covering assembly.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral H) designates generally the guide elements forming part of my expansion joint covering assembly. Each guide element it comprises an elongated flat base it, a shoulder I4 extending outwardly from the base l2 along a lateral edge thereof and terminating in a forwardly extending fiat flange it. The plane of the flange it is substantially parallel to the plane of the base I2 but is offset therefrom by reason of the shoulder it. The base I2 is provided with spaced openings for the reception of fastening means for securing the guide elements to the masonry surface adjacent the expansion joint. It will be observed that each guide element is substantially Z-shaped in cross-section.

The joint covering member of my assembly is T-shaped in cross-section and comprises an elongated body it and perpendicular web 20 extending outwardly therefrom. Preferably, the web 26 is provided with a series of perforations 22.

In practice, my expansion joint assembly is positioned across the vertical face of the joint before the joint sealing composition is poured. Firstly, the guide elements it are secured to the surface of the masonry adjacent the joint and parallel to the sides thereof, the flat base l2 being 'plaoed against the masonry. In the embodiment illustrated the guide elements it are so positioned that the outer edge of thefiat flange it is flush with the side of the joint. The elements It may be secured by any suitable means; A satisfactory securing means is shown in Fig. 1, comprising a nail 2 B driven into an expansion element which is inserted into a recess in the masonry. The expansion element is formed by two flared semi-cylindrical liners 25 held together by a flexible metal clamp 26. When the nail 24 is driven the liners 25 are forced against the sides of the recess whereby tight frictional engagement with the nail 2% is effected, After the guide elements It are in place, the body it of the joint covering member is slipped downwardly into the channel between the face of the masonry and the inner faces of the flat flanges It, with the vertical Web 20 extending into the joint. The joint sealing composition 21 may then be poured into the joint. If desired, the body i8 may first be directed into position across the face of the joint and the guide elements I!) then secured to the masonry surface.

dam, I prefer to use a series of short assemblies placed one above the other as shown in Fig. 3, rather than a single long assembly.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims and it is intended, therefore, that all matter contained in the foregoing description and in the drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A structure comprising vertically-disposed masonry structural units having laterally adjacent vertical surfaces, an expansion joint between said structural units having a vertical face disposed between the vertical surfaces of said units, a resilient fiowable expansion joint sealing composition in said joint, elongated guide elements of substantially Z-shaped cross-section removably secured along one surface thereof to the said vertical surfaces of the masonry units adjacent the said expansion joint and substantially parallel to the sides of the said vertical face of said joint, whereby to form an elongated channel between the vertical surfaces of the said structural units and the surfaces of said guide elements parallel thereto, and a covering unit for the vertical face of the expansion joint comprising a substantially flat elongated body portion positioned within said channel across the vertical face of the expansion joint and a perpendicular longitudinal web extending into and embedded in said sealing composition, said body portion having a thickness less than the depth of said channel whereby to permit limited outward movement of the said body portion from the vertical face of the joint during periods of expansion of the masonry units and lateral movement of said sealing composition out of the vertical face of said joint but preventing displacement of said sealing composition from said joint.

2. A structure comprising vertically disposed masonry structural units having laterally adjacent vertical surfaces, an expansion joint between said structural units having a vertical face disposed between the vertical surfaces of said units,

a resilient, flowable expansion joint sealing com,-

the vertical face of the expansion joint comprising a substantially flat elongated body portion positioned within said channel across the vertical face of the expansion joint and an apertured perpendicular longitudinal web extending into and embedded in said sealing composition with portions of the sealing composition extending through the apertures in the web, said body portion having a thickness less than the depth of said channel whereby to permit limited outward movement of the said body portion from the vertical face of the joint during periods of expansion of the masonry units and lateral movement of said sealing composition out of the vertical face of said joint but preventing displacement of said sealing composition from said joint.

'3. A structure comprising vertically disposed masonry structural units having laterally adjacent vertical surfaces, an expansion joint between said structural units having a vertical face disposed between the vertical surfaces of said units, a resilient, flowable expansion joint sealing composition in said joint, a plurality of elongated guide elements of substantially Z-shaped crosssection removably secured along one surface thereof to the said vertical surfaces of the' masonry units in vertically-superposed relationship adjacent the said expansion joint and substantially parallel to the sides of the said vertical face of said joint, whereby to form an elongated channel between the vertical surfaces of the said structural units and the surfaces of said guide elements parallel thereto, and a plurality of vertically superposed covering units for the vertical face'of the expansion joint, each of said covering units comprising a substantially fiat elongated body portion positioned within said channel across the vertical face of the expansion joint and a perpendicular longitudinal web extending into and embedded in said sealing composition, said body portion having a thickness less than the depth of said channel whereby to permit limited outward movement of the said body portion from the vertical face of the joint during periods of expansion of the masonry units and lateral movement of said sealing composition out of the vertical face of said joint but preventing displacement of said sealing composition from said joint.

RICHARD T. LYONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,357,713 Lane Nov. 2, 1920 1,427,558 Smith Aug. 29, 1922 1,427,901 Jager Sept. 5, 1922 1,559,749 Hall Nov. 3, 1925 1,728,275 Herman et al Sept. 17, 1929 1,740,110 Oden Dec. 17, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 498,342 France June 8, 1920 606,106 France 1926 

